Cyrus s



(No Model.)

C. S. DEAN.

WATER TUBE CLEANER.

No. 580,774. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

Illrrcrtrrlcclirz E.,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i j

CYRUS S. DEAN, OF FORT ERIE, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO VILLAM B. PIERCE,

OF SAME PLACE.

WATER-TUBE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,774, dated April 13, 1897.

i Application filed September 9, 1896. Serial No. 605,238. (No model.)

tain new and useful Improvements in Water- Tube Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

1o The incrustation, scale, deposits, and accu` mulations upon the inner side of water-lines of steam-boilers interfere ,materially with their heat conductivity, consequently requiring a greater consumption of fuel to maintain the steam at a given pressure and otherwise detraoting from the efliciency of the.boiler; hence the desirability of removing such deposits and incrustation. Chemicals and mechanical .appliances have been resorted to for 2o loosening and removing the obstructing matter, and give more or less satisfactory results, the reagents being slow in their action and the mechanical appliances operating fairly well when the scale is comparatively soft,

2 5 vbut failing when the incrustation is hard and smooth.

This invention aims to provide a tool which will operate after the principle of a chisel and hammer, this being the most effectual 3o way known for removing the incrustation from large surfaces, but which is not prac-V ticed for water-tubes because of the confined space not admitting of such operation.

The vital feature of the invention is a cutter which is vibrated rapidly, either by an oscillating or a reciprocating motion, and caused to impact against the sides of the water-tube and chip the scale and incrustation therefrom, the loosened scale being driven 4o off by the blast employed for actuating the cutter, and means for driving the .cutter through the instrumentality of steam, com

pressed air, or like medium.

In its organization the tool comprises, essentially, a head having a chamber, a piston operating within the chamber and having the cutter connected therewith, inlet and eX- haust ports communicating with the aforesaid chamber, and a valve controlled by the 5o piston for regulating the admission and eX- V haust-ing of the motive medium from the chamber.

For afull understanding of the merits, advantages, and details of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of the tool and a water-tube, showing the invention applied, the intermediate portion of the tube and the operating-pipe being broken away. 6o Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the head portion of the tool at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the head. Fig.

4 is a front end View of the head. Fig. 5 shows the cutter differently connected with the piston.

In the following description and in all the views of the drawings corresponding and like parts are referred to and designated by the same reference-characters. 7o

The tool comprises a head l and a shell 2, the head being secured Within one end of the shell in any convenient and substantial way so as to admit of its removal for repairing, inspecting, or other desired purpose. The rear end of the shell 2 is closed by a cap 3, and tie rods or bolts 4 pass through corresponding openings 5 in the said cap and head to secure the parts in fixed relation. The operating-pipe 6 is adapted to be connected 8o with the cap 3 in the usual manner and is in communication with the means for supplying the steam, compressed air, or other medium for operating the tool.

The pipe 6 maybe advanced in the ordinary 8 5 way, butby reason of the peculiar construction of the tool it is necessary to turn it at the same time while advancing the tool within the water-tube, and in order that the tool may be advanced and turned regularly, so as not 9o to miss any portion of the tube-surface to be cleaned, it has been found expedient to de vise a mechanism for attaining this end, and, as shown, this mechanism consists of a bearing-block 7, fitted into the opening in the outer wall of the boiler opposite the tube to be cleaned, said block having a nib or projection 8 and an eXteriorly-threaded pipe 9, slidably mounted upon the pipe 6 and having a hand-wheel 10 at its outer end for turnroo ing the said feed-pipe and the pipe 6, the latter being held fast by a binding-screw 11, bearing at its inner end against the side of the pipe 6. The nilo or projection 8 enters the thread or spiral groove of the feed-pipe 9. Hence upon turning the latter by means of a hand-wheel 10 the pipe 6 and the tool attached thereto will be simultaneously turned and advanced within the water-tube 12. The feed-pipe 9 is much shorter than the watertube, and when advanced to the limit of its movement it is loosened and moved outward upon the pipe 6 and again secured thereto by retightening the binding-screw 11, which was previously loosened. This operation is repeated until the tool has traversed the entire length of the Water-tube, after which the tool is Withdrawn to be applied in the same manner t-o another` tube.

The head 1 is formed with a transverse chamber 13 between its ends, exhaust-ports 14 and 15, and ports 16, the latter serving both as inlet and exhaust ports. These several ports communicate with the chamber 13. A piston 17 fits snugly within the chamber 13 and reciprocates therein and is reduced between its ends, as shown at 18, to provide an annular space for the escape of the spent steam or other mot-ive medium. A lever 19 is fulcrumed to the head within the opening 15 and extends through a transverse opening in the piston and projects a short distance beyond the rear end or face of the head 1 to engage with a slide-valve 2O for operating it to control the entrance of the motive medium into and the exhausting of the spent motive medium from the chamber 13.

The slide-valve 2O fits against the rear face -ward flare of the rim 27 causes the jet to strike the side of the Water-tube. Duets or passages 29 extend through the head and communicate with the annular space 28 and convey the motive medium from the interior of the shell 2 to the said space 28.

The operation of the tool may be briey stated as follows: The steam or other motive medium being conveyed to the interior of the shell 2 passes therefrom into the chamber 13 through a port 16 and drives the piston from one end of the chamber to the other, the air in the rear of the piston escaping through the other port 16 into the valve 20, and thence out through the port 15, annular spa'ce 18, and port 14. An instant prior to the piston reaching the limit' 'of its stroke it closes the port 16 previously exhausting, and if no means were provided to cause a rebound'of the piston the position ofthe slide-valve Would remain unchanged and the tool would be inoperative for the purpose designed, and to overcome this difficulty springs 30 are located at the ends of the port 14, so as to engage with the lever 19 and move it and the piston to uncover the port 16 previously exhausting and shift the slide-valve so that the steam may enter the said port and drive. the piston in the opposite direction, the port 16 first admitting the steam now serving to exhaust, and the operation of reversing the valve will be repeated, thereby reciprocating the piston and actuating the cutter connected therewith. By having the loose connection between the ofthe head 1 and is held in place by a cap 21, which is secured to the head and has inner projections or lugs 22, between which the rear end of the lever 19 operates, said lugs being spaced apart to allow a limited movement of the piston prior to shifting the valve. The lever 19 extends beyond the frontend of the head and carries the cutter 23, which is mounted upon the tapering end of the said lever and held in place by jam-nuts 2-1 and a pin 25, the latter serving to prevent the turning of the cutter upon the lever. The openin g through the cutter tapers to conform to the tapering end of the lever 19, and the said cutter is forced home upon the lever by the action of the jam-nuts 24, thereby securing a substantial connection between the parts. The active or cutting ends of the cutter may have any desired form of edge found most advantageous, according to existing conditions, and, as shown, the ends are pointed, as in practice this form has been found to give the best results. c

A ring 26 .is secured to the front end of the head 1 and has an outwardly-flaring rim 27, between which and the shell 2 is formed an annular space 28, which contracts at its outer end, forming in effectan annular nozzle to lever 19 and the valve 2O the piston will move so as to uncover the port prior to shifting the valve for admitting the steam into the chamber 13 behindthe piston: The springs 30 are disposed so as to be compressed prior to the cutter striking the tube and before the piston reaches thelimit of its stroke, whereby upon regaining themselves the end herein described will be attained. The springs 30 are only of advantage in starting, as after the tool is in operation the rebound of the cutter and the compressing action of the steam within the vchamber 13 serve to move the piston sufficient to uncover the port and shift the valve.

The cutter maybe connected with the piston in various ways, either directly, as shown in Fig. 5, orindirectly, as shownin Fig. 1, and as illustrated in Fig. 5 the ends of the piston are extended, as shown at 31, and operate through openings in the side of the head and receive a cutter 32, and the lever 19a is shortened and does not extend through the piston, but engages therewith simply, so as to eect a shifting of the valve. Annular grooves are provided in the end of the piston around the tubular extensions 31 and receive springs 33 to effect the purpose for which the springs 30 are provided. The operation of this tool does IIC not differ from that herein described. I'Ience it is deemed not to be necessary to set forth the same.

From the foregoing it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

2. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered' head having inlet and exhaust ports, a valve for controlling the said ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate in the`chambercd head, a connection between the valve and piston for shifting the said valve, and a lever fulcrumed to the head and bearing a scale-loosening device and having connection with and vibrated by means of the said piston, substantially as set forth.

3. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered head having inlet and exhaust ports, a slidevalve for controlling the ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate in the head and alternately close the ports, a lever bearing a scaleloosening device connected With and vibrated by the piston, and a connection between the piston and slide-valve for shifting the latter, and having a limited play whereby the piston Will uncover an inlet-port prior to shift-ing the valve for closing the said port, substantially as set forth.

4. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered head having inlet and exhaust ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate Within the head and alternately close the ports, a lever connected with and vibrated by means of the piston, and bearing a scale-loosening device, and a slide-valve for controlling the said ports, and having inner extensions, to receive the inner end of the aforesaid lever, substantiallyin the manner set forth for the purpose described.

5. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered head having inlet and exhaust ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate Within the head, and alternately close the ports, a scale-loosening device connected with and operated by means of the piston, a lever fulcrumed to the head and having connection with the piston, and

a slide-valve for controlling the ports and having inner extensions between Which the opposite end of the lever has a limited play, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered head having ports, a piston operating in the head, and alternately closing the ports, a scale-loosening device connected WithV and operated by means of the piston, a slide-valve for controlling the inlet and exhaust ports and actuated by means of the said piston, and springs for positively moving the piston at the end of its stroke, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a Water-tube cleaner, a head having a transverse chamber between its ends, and having ports extending through the ends of the head and communicating with the chamber, a piston adapted to reciprocate Within the chamber and alternately close the inletports and reduced midway of its ends to provide an annular space, a scale-loosening device connected With and operated by means of the piston, and a slide-valve for controlling the ports and operated by means of the piston, substantially as set forth.

8. In a Water-tube cleaner, a chambered head having inlet and exhaust ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate Within the head, a cutter,a slide-valve for controlling the said ports, and a lever fulcru'med to the head and having engagement with the slide-valve and piston and carrying the said cutter, substantially as set forth.

9. In a Water-tube cleaner, a head having a transverse chamber, openings leading from the chamber through the ends of the head, and having inlet-ports, a piston adapted to reciprocate in the chamber and alternately close the inlet-ports, a slide-valve, and a lever bearing a cutter and fulcrumed to the head and operating in the end openings thereof, and engaging with the said slide-valve and piston, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l0. In a cleaner of the character described, a head provided with the cutting mechanism and havingl longitudinal ducts, and a ring secured to the head and having an outwardlyiiaring rim forming an annular space, which space is contracted at its outer end to provide a nozzle for facilitating the cleaning operation, substantially in the manner specified.

1l. In a tube-cleaner, the combination of a chambered head, a pivoted scale-loosening device, a slide-valve for controlling the admission and exhausting of steam or other motive medium from the chamber, and a piston located in the chamber and reciprocating therein and adapted to positively actuate the scale-loosening device and slide-valve, substantially in the manner set forth for the purpose specified.

12. In a tube-cleaner, the combination of a chambered head having inlet-ports communicating with the end portions of the chamber, a scale-loosener, a piston for actuating the scale-loosener located in the chamber of the head and adapted to alternately close the inlet-ports, and a slide-valve operatively connected with the piston and adapted to act IOO IIO

IZO

jointly therewith for Controlling the proper admission of the motive medium into the chamber for driving the piston, substantially as set forth.

13. In a tube-cleaner, the Combination of a ehambered head having ports oommunioati n g with the end portions of the chamber, a scaleloosener, a piston for operating the scale-loos ener located in the chamber and adapted to alternately close the inlet-ports, a slide-Valve acting jointly with the piston'for controlling the inlet-port, and a vibrating connection loe- 

